Black
by w Blitz
Summary: Sequel to It's My Life. Charlene Walsh's story continues through the second season as the chase of an apparently mythological Jack Cooper becomes heated. The group is broken, Charlene is broken- will Daryl be able to save her from herself? Rated M.
1. Life Goes On

**Black**

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Charlene and the other random odd characters.

Chapter 1: Life Goes On

* * *

The small-framed woman moved down the silent street invisibly. Her footfalls were quick and quiet and her breaths misted through the air inaudibly. The silver of her bow glittered under the blazing heat of the sun.

It had been nearly a week since the incident at the CDC- since the loss of her child. _Her child._ Was that what he was to her? Some abandoned orphan she had happened upon? Charlene blinked aggressively to clear her head. She dropped to her knees behind a sun-cooked car.

The group of survivors had wandered aimlessly across the state. They hadn't gone far- it was difficult with that giant RV and the lack of fuel and having to stop every couple miles due to cars piled up all over the place. That wasn't what even bothered Charlene though.

What really pissed her off was the tender loving care all those jack asses back there kept trying to distribute to her. She didn't need their pity or sympathy- she was a former Marine who killed her abusive and rapist husband- who traveled on her own from Texas to Atlanta, Georgia for her older brother. She didn't fucking need them.

_Shane._ The very thought of her older brother softened her emotional wounds. He was hurting nearly as bad as she was watching a woman he had grown to love treat him like the dirt between her toes. Charlene snarled to herself. _Bitch._ She hated that woman with a fiery passion.

Lori enjoyed throwing the blame on other people- making things appear as if it were their fault and not hers. She loved to twist feelings and minds- she was just _that_ woman. The kind that took advantage and felt no remorse of who's lives she ruined in her wake.

Charlene had seen the detrimental change in her older brother and she didn't like it one bit. It enraged her to no end to see him in so much pain- this world wasn't for everyone and with the added stress she feared he'd crack underneath it all sooner or later. When that happened, there was no telling what Shane would do.

She didn't really much care- she'd protect him no matter the cost. Family was a rarity in this world and Shane was all the family she had left. Charlene wouldn't ever let him go. They'd stick through this thick and thin, just like they had as children.

Her eyes snapped to the end of the weed overgrown street at the gentle clicking of footsteps. She gave a gentle sigh of victory at the sight of a medium sized buck. He was cautious as he stepped through the town- his ears swiveled back and forth. Charlene readied her bow and crept forward silently.

She lifted it up to her sights just as the deer turned his side and fully exposed his heart to her. A hot warm breath washed over her neck and Charlene froze as the words whispered into her ear roughly. "And just what do you plan on doing with that once you kill em?"

Her lips twitched ever so slightly at the heat radiating from the fellow hunter's body. Her memory flickered back to the campsite when they had killed that first deer together. "Figured I'd carry him back for dinner." Her voice was laced with a venomous warning.

His chuckled rumbled in his chest and echoed in her body. Charlene snarled as the deer skittered from the town. The woman whipped around and was nearly floored by the grinning cold blue eyes. Her anger faltered slightly as she glared at him. "Why are you fuckin' followin' me?"

Daryl gave a shrug. "Why do ya keep runnin' away?"

The woman scoffed. "I'm not running away."

The man rolled his eyes- the gesture nearly made her smile. "You're gone more than you're around."

Her tone mocked sweetness and dripped sarcasm. "Aw, sweet lil' Daryl has been watching out for me." His scowl was cut in half as she continued on- her voice returned to what seemed to be it's permanent annoyance. "I don't need ya' watching out for me, Dixon. So go crawl back to your group and leave me the hell alone."

She watched his eyes harden visibly. His jaw set and throbbed angrily. The woman's cold stare dared him to retaliate. Several tense seconds passed as the two southerners stood toe to toe- Charlene gave a hiss of irritation before she turned her back on the man and strode away.

To her surprise, Dixon had not pursued her. She would be lying if she said she wasn't slightly disgruntled by his sudden change. She would most definitely be lying if she said she didn't have feelings for the man- Charlene caught herself several times attempting to come up with any reason to talk with him or be around him. She enjoyed his presence, he made her feel safe and comforted even if he was the biggest douchebag there was at times.

She missed Daryl- Charlene hardly saw him anymore now that she was tracking Jack and Eric. Everyone thought she was wandering aimlessly; Daryl thought she was hunting aimlessly.

The thought nearly made her laugh out loud. None of them knew just how close she was to finally catching the two men that had ruthlessly murdered a child and threatened the lives of her group.

No one else would die at the hands of Charlene's enemies. She would kill them even if it killed her, she couldn't allow any more harm to befall their family. _Her family._

* * *

**FINALLY! It's been a while yall, and I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a very difficult story to begin. 8 ½ weeks of not being able to use my head for myself did a number, I could barely even remember what the story was about if you can believe it haha. **

**Anyways, I'm graduated now and in tech school so I have some actual time and technology on my hands. I'll turn out chapters as often as I can, but they won't be super speedy as I am incredibly busy. **

**I hope yall enjoyed this sneak preview of sorts of the second season! :) Thank you for reading!**


	2. Road's Untraveled

**Black**

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Charlene and the random odd characters.

Inspired By Linkin Park's 'Road's Untraveled' I recommend listening to it as you read the chapter.

Chapter 2: Road's Untraveled

* * *

_She was incredibly thin and worn. The woman shivered in the depths of the dungeon-like environment. The smell of death and decay overwhelmed her senses and nausea was rising through her body like mercury. _

_Her body wretched the last bit of its contents she couldn't afford to lose. Her bones protruded from her skin painfully. Charlene leaned against the wall weakly, her breath misted in the freezing, dank air. _

_How long had she been there? She couldn't remember. Her body trembled as the remembrance of all the endless torture washed over her threateningly. She whimpered pitifully and curled into her arms- desperate for the pain to end. Her teeth chattered as her mind clouded with a weak and angry rage._

_There was nothing she could do. She truly was a wounded, cornered animal. Charlene could snarl and attack all she wanted, but her fight meant nothing- it did nothing to them. She was trapped. This was how it all ended._

_Memories of her brother flooded her and she wanted to cry. There was so much she needed to tell him, things left unsaid. Charlene couldn't leave him like this- it would destroy him to lose his little sister. They were best friends; they had always done everything together. She couldn't do that to her older brother. She wouldn't do that to her older brother._

_And like a merciful ray of hope- light flooded the dank hallway with it's comforting embrace. Charlene could hear the yells of battle and as the light dimmed with shadows charging the prison- she knew. Jack had returned for her._

_She fell forward on her leathery knees and crawled towards the bars- her hands grasped the cold metal, her breath rasped as she struggled forward. Her hair hung in rags around her pale, sunken face. _

_She could see the ray of red dot sights swiveling down the hall tactically- the familiar beats of the combat boots rung in her ears and the wash of relief filled her bones and body. Jack knelt before the destroyed woman on the other side of the bars. The deadness in her eyes lit up in a heart-wrenching sort of hope as her fingers brushed his hands. "Oh God. Char." _

_Her discolored lips stretched into a cracked and wounded smile. "It doesn't end here" Was all her pain stripped voice could whisper. The man wanted to cry- after all this time- there wasn't any doubt in his mind that her will to survive was the sole reason in her being alive at this moment and somewhat intact._

_He could see the flare of the Charlene he knew come to life as they ripped the bars from their hinges. The skinny, malnourished woman stood before him. She was stripped down to her bra and underwear. A feeling of dread crushed him inside as his hand wrapped gently around her bony upper arm. _

_She shook her head and pushed him away. "It's not like that Jack- remember the intel of the entrapments we released?" The man snorted. "That was a joke."_

_The grim lines of the woman's face deepened. "It's not what happened. I'm a swine to these people- they wouldn't touch me if their lives depended on it."_

_Jimmy was the group medic. His face was a stone wall of emotion. He handed her clothes- his eyes were averted away from her body in a look of somewhat shame. Charlene accepted the clothes and began pulling them over her body. "What's the situation?"_

_Jack ran a bloodied hand over his head. "Not good. I know you're weak, you've been here for a long time, but you're gonna' have to put up some fight if we're all gonna' get outta' here alive."_

_Charlene stumbled against the wall weakly. She jerked the pants up her legs. Before the woman could respond, Jimmy jerked Jack away from her. He whispered furiously, "Make her fight? Are you crazy? Look at her, she can barely stand!"_

_Jack frowned aggressively. "Do you know who she is? Fighting is all Charlene knows how to do. She won't sit by to be protected."_

_The younger man's face contorted angrily. "You're gonna' get her killed!"_

_Jack growled. "And we'll all die if she doesn't help." They stared each other down- eyes flashing and fists clenched. Charlene's voice cut through like a dagger. "I will fight, don't underestimate me."_

_The two turned to the withered and fragile woman. Her stance was defiant of her weakness as she took the M4 in her arms. Jack's face contorted with pride and he nodded his head. "Then, let's do this."_

_"Now or never." Charlene murmured._

She stirred at the faint rays of dawn peeping through the trees- the moans of the dead became very apparent to her as the tree gave a gentle shake at their desperate pleas for her flesh. Charlene untied her body from the tree. Her head turned downwards as she took in the faces of each and every walker staring into her eyes hungrily.

Slowly the faces seemed to contort into those from the camp. Soon, she was staring into the eyes of Amy, Jim, and her little Derek. Charlene jumped from the tree and landed in the crouched position in front of the beasts. The woman stood steadily and carefully pulled her hatchet from its sheath.

The walkers advanced on her, and she swiveled the familiar weight of the handle in her hands. _Amy. Jim. Derek. Daryl._ Seeing the deadened face of the man she had come to care for deeply enraged the tiny woman. Her lips curled angrily as she launched the cool blade deep into the skull of the offending monster.

She grunted as she wrenched it free and delved it deep into Amy's face and then her little Derek. Charlene felt the heated wash of blood splatter her already dirtied body. The woman pulled her hatchet free and resisted the temptation to continue hacking away. She stepped back over the fallen bodies of the anonymous people that had long since been dead.

Her hatchet nestled into its sheath as she strode away from the rot and ruin. Her cerulean eyes took in the beauty of the world surrounding her- defiant of the decay that walked its ground each and every day. It was as if nothing had ever changed. The silver of her bow glittered underneath the glare of the Georgian sun.

The earth crunched beneath each and every step she took. Her dark hair was near her mid back in length as it fluttered in the wind. Her olive colored skin glowed underneath the rays of light- the day would be hot. The sweltering humidity was already choking the air.

Charlene breathed deeply. It had been nearly full three days since her encounter with Daryl. She had pushed her body hard and it showed in her face and her steps. She was completely and utterly exhausted- the hallucinations weren't helping her any on her path to return to her group.

She hadn't let them get too far ahead of her. Charlene had always planned on returning, but her despair and grief made seeing them incredibly difficult at times and she had needed to get away- to at least feel like she was hunting down the murderers of her child. The people that threatened everything she had left to live for.

Charlene gritted her teeth in rage. She would get them- fighting was all she knew how to do and she would fight these men every single day for the rest of her life if need be. No harm would come to her group ever again.

All at once the world seemed to slow down as the familiar screams of a little girl reached her ears- _Sophia._ Charlene's body tensed and all at once her muscles leapt into action. She crashed through the forest violently, not caring of the noise she made.

She wouldn't allow another of her group to be harmed. The tiny woman leapt between trees and bushes and charged through the creek towards the highway. She could see the glitter of the white Winnebago ahead. Memories of her Derek waving to her flooded her sight and she stumbled to her knees as she shook her head aggressively.

She didn't have time for this- Sophia was in danger. The little girl appeared before her and was pursued by three walkers. Charlene stood and snarled loudly, "GET BEHIND ME SOPHIA!"

The blonde haired little girl darted behind the exhausted woman as she withdrew her hatchet. The trio of dead approached her in a line- leathery, rotted hands reached for her flesh. Charlene kicked out the knee of the closest and drove the blade into the skull of the collapsed walker.

She felt arms wrap around her neck and the heated rattling breath that washed over her bared skin sent fear roaring in her veins. All at once, the second walker tackled her front and she cried out as she tumbled backwards and struggled against the two beasts gnawing desperately for her.

Charlene wrestled on the ground momentarily- holding one walker at bay before having to reassert her strength back and forth. Her muscles trembled as their limbs slapped at her hungrily. The arm of one walker snapped and it's face collapsed towards hers- Charlene shrieked pitifully as she clenched her eyes shut at the impending attack on her face.

The weight of the walker suddenly disappeared and she was left with the one she had subdued. Her cerulean eyes snapped open to see Daryl stomping the skull of the walker that had nearly had her for a meal.

She rolled backwards and grabbed her knife with her free hand and slammed it through the forehead of the jaw-gnashing woman beneath her. She felt the calloused hands of the man who had just saved her hauling her to her feet roughly. His eyes searched her wildly as his hands rubbed her neck and face for bite marks.

Charlene pushed him away aggressively. "I'm not bit." Daryl snarled in response,

"What the fuck, Char? You disappear for a week and I find you about to become dinner?"

The woman glared at him as she sheathed her hatchet. "I was protecting Sophia." She caught the sudden change in his demeanor as Daryl took a step forward and spoke lowly, "She came through here then?"

"Yuh. I told her to get behind me- she must'a run up that path." Her anger had not been forgotten as she wiped her knife on her pants. "Rick headed down that way lookin' for her. They might already be back at the camp."

The hunter began heading towards the high way, his cross bow slung over his back as his bared muscular arms glistened with sweat. Charlene didn't follow- she stood still for a moment taking in the sight before her and the sights all around her. She had nearly died and if it hadn't been for the timely rescue of this man before her- she would have.

She wouldn't any longer be able to enjoy the beauty of nature or the beauty of friendship and companionship any longer. The pain she'd have caused her brother if she had died killed her a little inside at the thought. Charlene's head dipped in shame at her recklessness. Daryl's rough voice cut into her thoughts. "Ya' comin or ya plannin' on runnin off again?"

The woman's head tilted upwards slightly. Her forehead creased tenderly, as a gentle smile surprised Daryl thoroughly. "Thank you." Her voice was merely a hoarse whisper, but was deep with emotion and gratitude. The hunter studied her posture- it was the spitting image of Deputy Dickhead's guilty stance; on her though it was humbling to see such a strong woman lay her insecurities out before him.

Daryl had to resist the smile tempting his face. He barely nodded to her and shuffled his feet with a noncommittal shrug. "Just did what you'da done."

Charlene smiled again- a fuller, lively smile that he hadn't seen in a long time. Her grief stricken eyes seemed to twinkle with something more- a certain kind of hope and that fiery flare of fight that always lurked in the pools of her eyes.

In this Daryl was sure that his Charlene slowly, but steadily was returning to the group.

* * *

**Here ya guys go! I don't got much time, but I'd like to thank all yall for reading and I hope yall enjoy :)**


End file.
